Falling for the Barista
by JustAPhilophobicWriter
Summary: Annabeth's day started with a broken alarm clock and a shy green-eyed barista. Percy's day started with the smell of coffee and a fiery gray-eyed girl. Love at first sight? Not a chance. Love later on? Well... Coffee Shop AU
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

- **Annabeth** -

Through the haze of sleep, Annabeth could make out the sound of her alarm clock's insistent beeping and groaned into her pillow. She reached out a hand in the darkness and groped blindly around for the snooze button. Unfortunately, she was unsuccessful at finding the button as well as managed to knock the entire alarm clock of the dresser. Annabeth cursed at that, mumbling about having to buy a new alarm clock as she lazily got up to a sitting position. She ran a hand through her bedraggled curls and picked her glasses, which had also fallen off the table along with the alarm clock, of the floor. She rubbed the lenses with the edge of her cami and put them on. Her tiny studio apartment became clearer as she reached under her pillow to pull out her phone.

" _Shit_ ", she cursed under her breath as she noticed the time.

Her first class was in 45 minutes and she lived a good 30 minute walk away from campus. Annabeth stumbled out of bed and made her way to her cramped bathroom, brushing her teeth quickly and splashed her face with water. She threw on a grey cold shoulder top, tied a red flannel shirt around her waist, tugged on a pair of black ripped skinny jeans and pulled her black beanie over her blond hair. She ran around her room, picking up anything she needed for her classes, her computer, her house keys and her phone and tucked them into her brown satchel. She laced up her black combat boots and ran to the stairs leading out of her apartment building, slamming the door behind her. As she ran to campus she had one thought racing through her head, " _Piper's going to kill me."_

- **Percy** -

"Enjoy your coffee," Percy stuttered while handing a cup of black coffee to the lady in-front of him as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. She smiled, accepted her coffee and slipped a tip towards him. Percy smiled to himself and snuck the change into his apron pocket.

"I saw that." Percy rolled his eyes and turned to face one of his best friends, Jason Grace.

"Saw what, Grace?", Percy asked innocently.

"Don't pull the innocent act on me," Jason said with a smirk. "That lady tipped you $15 bucks and you aren't going to share with your good pal Jason?"

"Nope," Percy said, popping the "P", "Get your own tips."

Jason pouted and said, "Well, since you decided not to share," Jason took Percy by the shoulders and pushed him towards the counter, "You get counter duty."

"Come on man," Percy whined, "That isn't fair." Percy was a very socially awkward person; he hated interacting with strangers. It wasn't his fault, whenever he talked to new people he felt a sinking weight in his chest, he lost the ability to form coherent sentences and his voice grew increasingly quiet. Jason shrugged and whistled towards the coffee machine. Percy sighed and faced towards the counter, praying someone wasn't going to walk through the shop's doors anytime soon. Unfortunately, his prayers remained unanswered as a blond girl rushed through the glass doors, almost knocking the little bell over door of the wall. For a minute, Percy forgot how to breathe as his breath hitched in his throat. This girl was stunning. Dressed in a simple gray top and ripped jeans, her blond hair curl down her back with a few strands tucked behind one ear. A pair of black glasses nestled on the bridge of her nose and a black beanie sat on the top of her head.

 _She looks like a princess_ , Percy thought, _or an angel. Or both._

And this blond princess-angel-goddess was walking right to him. Percy ran a hand through his raven-black hair nervously as she stood in-front of him.

"H-h-hi," he finally managed to let out, "Welcome t-t-to St-tarbucks. M-may I t-take y-your order?"

Being face-to-face with her he got a good look at her face; lush lips, a cute button nose, and a few freckles dusting her nose. But the biggest feature were her eyes; piercing gray, like storm clouds, calculating and a bit intimidating, as if she were looking through his soul. Normally if Percy ever saw someone with eyes like those he would back away or be slightly scared. But, on her, it made her seem more attractive, if that was humanly possible. He was brought out of his thoughts by her voice.

"Yes, I would like a caramel latte, extra whipped cream, and one coffee, two sugars no milk," she said after scanning the menu. Percy nodded silently, wrote her order on a post-it note and stuck it to the coffee machine for Jason to prepare. "That." The word came out as a squeak. Percy cleared his throat, took a deep breath and stayed again, "That would be $9.50."

The girl cocked an eyebrow. "You have got to be joking? That price for a few coffee beans thrown in a machine then sprinkle with whip cream. I could get that same thing for a couple bucks from my local corner store."

Percy wasn't surprised. It was normal for people to complain about the prices. So, he replied the pre-planned response to those people, albeit a little shaky, "Um..Miss, see this is a well known establishment. We strive to give our customers the best quality coffee, and the price is just a shortcoming for it. I'm sorry for the inconvenience." This was usually the part where the customer just sighed, nodded and handed the bills. But, apparently this girl didn't get the memo.

"Excuse me? You call this crap 'quality", the girl snapped, "Please, I could get better service from a rat."

Percy was beginning to get quite pissed with this girl now. Who does she think she is..he thought to himself. He took a deep breath and said, "Listen Miss.."

"I'll prefer you call me Annabeth," she said, eyes narrowed.

"Alright Annabeth," Percy hissed, emphasizing on her name, "If you don't like the price of our coffee either just get out, or suck it up and pay."

Annabeth steeled her eyes, then took out her wallet and threw a couple bucks at his face. "There," she spat in his face. Okay, _now_ Percy was pissed at this girl. Jason tapped him on the shoulder and handed him the drinks, smirking. Percy took them angrily and passed them to the girl. "Hope you enjoy the coffee," he said, sarcasm evident, "And come back soon."

"If the coffee is any good, maybe," she said nonchalantly, as she walked out, sipping her latte, leaving behind a steaming Percy.

 ** _~Authors Note~_**

 **Well...that wraps up the first chapter! Sorry if it sucks, this is my first actual story that I'm publishing. Tune in next time for more "quality" content. Will Percy blow his top? Will Annabeth come back? How does Piper and Jason fit into all this? What is the point of this story? I don't know. Well bye bye.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

- **Percy** -

"Ugh...that girl just pisses me off," Percy exclaimed as he plopped on his bed. Jason, currently working on an assignment for flight school, sat on his own bed, laptop propped on his lap while being surrounded by a pile of books. He nodded, and just responded with,"Mhm." Percy payed no attention to the fact Jason was probably not listening to him and continued to rant. "I mean, who does that? She just straight up insulted me and the coffee shop then threw her money in my face. She is just insufferable and a horrible person", Percy said frustrated, his sea green eyes darkened, as he continued pacing around their small apartment.

"I feel you man," Jason murmured while he read up on standard aircraft operating procedures.

"And what did she say her name was, Annabeth? Who is named that?" Percy threw his hands up in the air and let out a groan.

"Yeah..Yeah," Jason mumbled, pushing his glasses up as his eyes continued to scan the text.

"And worst of she said she might come back! Like literally, you just said the coffee is crap then said you might come back! I hope that I never have to see that smart-ass, self-absorbed, blonde bitch ever again!" Percy finished his rant by plopping back on his bed and throwing a pillow over his head.

Jason sighed and closed his laptop. "Look, this girl might have been a total bitch but that doesn't mean you need to go on a whole rampage about it." Jason's eyes then lit up. "Hey why not we go out? Us and the guys? They could bring their girlfriends and I know this really nice girl from flight school who's single..."

"Don't even finish that thought Grace," Percy said, his voice muffled by the pillow.

"Oh c'mon man," Jason said, trying to persuade him, "You need to destress. It's been forever since you broke up with Rachel. This could be fun." Jason then walked over to Percy and proceeded to poke him. "C'mon," he said, the poking becoming increasingly insistent. Percy eventually had enough and yelled, "Alright..alright fine I'll go," he grumbled, "But I'm not going to like it."

"Good enough for me," Jason cheered, walking to their mini-kitchen while pulling out his phone to contact the others.

Percy threw the pillow against the wall and sighed. I'm not in the mood to go out tonight, I wonder if I can fake a sickness he thought but it would be nice to see the guys again. I haven't seen them in a while, I mean Grover has been pretty busy with college as well as his Environmental Protection group, Frank has been away for a while training for the military and Leo has been doing who knows what at the repair shop he works at. And I don't mind seeing Juniper and Hazel again. And maybe going out would keep my mind of that gray-eyed girl at the coffee shop. Making up his mind, Percy got up and started pulling clothes out of the dresser, looking for something presentable to wear.

- **Annabeth** -

Annabeth wrestled with the lock on the door before it finally gave in and gave the satisfying _click_. She sighed with relief and entered her tiny apartment. She dropped her satchel and the shopping bags on the floor, made her way towards her bed and belly flopped onto it. Home sweet home she thought quietly as she nuzzled her face in the bed.

After her run-in with that barista, Annabeth had run towards the campus and made it to her class just in time. After her last class, she was met outside by Piper, arms crossed and visibly steaming.

"Hey Pipes," Annabeth said nervously, stretching out the "hey" ,"What's up?"

"Oh nothing much," Piper replied nonchalantly, "Just had to wait an hour for my best friend to show up to campus, and then finally gave up, only to see her running past me just before the bell rang." Piper's voice had risen several octaves during the course of that sentence. Piper then started walking towards the main doors and Annabeth ran to catch up.

Annabeth toyed with the strap of her satchel then said, "Yeah, sorry about that. You see I had woken up late and then I had to run to school but thought I should get a cup of coffee first then-" Annabeth was cut of by Piper holding out her hand, signaling her to stop.

"No excuses Annabeth," Piper tutted, "You were late and it's okay. But, that wasn't the only reason I came here." Piper's kaleidoscopic eyes sparkled with excitement. "There's this new spot opening up downtown. We should totally go. I already asked Thalia and she said why not. So..." Piper gave Annabeth a pleading look.

"No, McLean," Annabeth said, exasperatedly, "We've already been through this. I don't have time for partying. I have a big assignment in my Architectural Design class which is due in a few days and I haven't started yet, a test in Trigonometry which I need to study for, and going through each courses material so I don't end up failing my senior year of college."

"Oh, C'mon Annabeth," Piper said pleadingly, "It could be fun." The last part she said in a sing-song voice while accompanying it with poking Annabeth. "C'mon Annabeth," Piper begged, "I promise you this is the last time, I won't ask ever again if you come out this one time."

Annabeth sighed and said, "Okay no more asking after this. Promise?

Piper took a step back and her eyes grew wide. "Wait," she said, "You're actually agreeing to come? Did I hear that right? Did _**the**_ great no-partying Annabeth Chase actually agree to come?" Piper jumped up and down clapping her hands. "It's a miracle," she exclaimed.

Annabeth just shook her head and smirked then said, "So no more asking after this right?"

Piper waved it off and said, "Sure, sure, yeah no more asking." After grabbing Annabeth's hand she started running towards the door. "Now c'mon we need to find new clothes!"

—Time Skip—

Annabeth woke up to the sound of her phone's ringtone blasting on. She rubbed her eyes and looked who was calling.

 _Piper_.

Annabeth rolled her eyes and answered the phone call. She was met with Piper screeching, "Where the heck are you? If you blew me off or so help me-" Annabeth cut her of there by saying, "Easy McLean, I just woke up. I must have fallen asleep by mistake. I'm coming as soon as I can."

"Well hurry up," Piper shouted through the phone, "It's pretty awkward being here alone."

"Where's Thalia?" Annabeth asked, remembering Piper saying something about Thalia coming.

"She couldn't make it," Piper said, then hesitated before saying, "Something about Luke and a family gathering."

Annabeth felt her heart ache hearing the name of her ex-boyfriend. But she shook it off then replied, "Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can." Annabeth hung up then proceeded to make herself look semi-decent. She washed her face then did her makeup. Afterwards, She tied half of her blond curls in a ponytail while leaving the other half down. She scrounged through the shopping bags and decided on a light blue off-shoulder flared long sleeved dress which came to her mid thigh. She also slipped on a pair of black see through tights and her beloved combat boots. She finally grabbed her black beanie and a purse containing her phone, wallet and keys and stepped out the door.

Two subway trips, and hell of a lot of walking she finally arrived to the new place Piper was talking about. It was called "Cloud 9 Club and Lounge" and it looked pretty cool from the outside. Annabeth took a deep breath and walked inside.

Inside, it was just a mix of neon lights and drunk dancing people. Immediately, Annabeth regretted coming here. She steadied herself then made her way towards the crowd in hopes of finding Piper. She was pushed and shoved by various people, all while shouting Piper's name over and over again.

She suddenly felt herself walking into someone's back. She turned around, the word "sorry" on her lips when she was met with a pair of sea-green eyes.

"You," they both said, contempt evident in their voices.

 **~Authors Note~**

 **Welllll...that turned out interesting. Kinda. I don't know if I became a little cliche with this but like, eh. I hope you guys enjoy this story so far. Until next time.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note:**

 **So this chapter is going to be the last chapters events but from Percy's point of view. It also continues on a bit after.**

 **-Percy-**

Percy squirmed in the bar seat awkwardly. He tugged at the collar of his sea-green shirt when Jason elbowed him in the ribs. "Talk to her," he hissed, then passed it off as a laugh at whatever corny joke Leo had said. Percy sighed and looked at the girl opposite him. Jason had said her name was Calypso and she was one of his fellow classmates at flight school (if this isn't how it works I don't know exactly the mechanisms or flight school). She had been asking questions in hopes of starting a conversation with him for the past 30 min, to which he either responded with a nod, shrug or a shake of the head. But, at Jason's insistence and fear of another elbow the the ribs, Percy stuttered awkwardly, "Um...so...do you have any hobbies?"

Calypso's eyes lit up and said, "Yes I do in fact. I enjoy drawing, painting, gardening and weaving. Of course, I had to have something to do for the years when I was homeschooled. My dad isn't at home often, so my mom would have been perfectly happy keeping me at home and letting me take online courses. But, I begged her to let me go to flight school-" As Calypso continued going on and on about god knows what Percy's mind drifted. Calypso, even though she was beautiful with her big brown eyes and caramel hair, was quite boring. They shared no common interests and she would continue talking on forever if someone didn't stop her.

 _I bet Annabeth would have been a more interesting conversationalist_ he thought. Afterwards, he groaned internally. This outing was supposed to be a way to get his mind of the gray-eyed girl, Annabeth, from the coffee shop but during that entire night she was the only thing on his mind. He was brought out of his thoughts by Calypso calling his name and placing a hand over his.

"Percy, Percy," Calypso said, eyes knitted in worry, "Are you okay?"

Jason had turned to face him and said, "Yeah man, all of a sudden you had groaned and put your head on the desk." Hearing that, the others stopped their conversations and leaned forward to look at Percy.

Percy cursed mentally. Apparently that internal groan wasn't so internal after all. Percy offered a small smile to his friends and said, "I'm fine. Just a little bored I guess." Jason seized this opportunity and said, "Oh why not you and Calypso go dance for awhile?"

Before Percy could protest, Calypso had jumped up and exclaimed, "That's a great idea!", the proceeded to drag a reluctant Percy onto the dance floor. The sea of people immediately engulfed them and Percy was surrounded by drunk people, flashing lights and loud music. "Um..Calypso I think I'm gonna-" he started as he turned to face Calypso, only to find her gone.

 _Great_ Percy thought bitterly _Just great._

Percy decided his best bet would be making his way back to the table they all were sitting at and tell them he really wasn't feeling well and go home. As Percy tried making his way through the see of people, he felt someone bump into his back.

"Hey you al-" Percy said instinctively while turning around, only to be met by the pair of grey eyes haunting him all day.

"You," they both said, contempt evident. "What are you doing here?"

Annabeth laughed dryly and said, "Well definitely not spending a nice Friday night in wonderfully curled up in my blanket that's for sure. What about you?" Percy was taken aback by how civil she was being.

"Well my night's not going as planned either," Percy admitted. Annabeth cocked her head to the side and said, "Why's that?"

"Why are you being so nice after earlier?" Percy blurted out.

Annabeth narrowed her eyes, the sighed and said, "Yeah sorry about that, was a bit grumpy since I woke up late and was almost late to my first class." Percy was about to answer when she continued, "But I still don't exactly like the way you treated me either."

Percy rubbed the back of his head and said a simple sorry.

Annabeth looked at him and asked, "That's it no explanation, no reason, just sorry?" Percy mumbled a sorry again. Annabeth sighed exasperatedly and said, "You still haven't answered my previous question. Why is your night no going so well either?"

Percy stated, "My buddy Jason forced me to go on a date with one of his friends from school. Problem is she's a bit.." Percy didn't know how to answer when Annabeth butted in with, "Annoying? Boring? Pain in the ass?"

Percy replied, "Well I wouldn't use those exact words but.." Annabeth chuckled and then said, "Well if you need to escape let me know. I could pose as the jealous ex-girlfriend or something, cause a scene."

Percy was glad at the dimness of the club as it hid the blush creeping up his neck, "Nah..I've got things covered."

Annabeth shrugged then said, "Well, let me know if you change your mind. Now I'm going to go find my friend." As she was walking away, she turned back and looked at him, "Well see ya later Perseus was it?"

Percy winced at the use of his full name and said, "It Percy actually."

Annabeth smiled and said, "Well Percy, see you for another cup of coffee." And she disappeared in the crowd, leaving Percy standing their alone, trying to calm down the blush in his cheeks.

Percy finally escaped and made his way towards his friends and spotted Jason with a brown-haired chick who looked like a couple of two year-olds had attacked her hair with safety scissors. "Hey Jason I think I really am coming down with something, I'm just going to leave first, that okay?"

"Yeah man," Jason said, and returned his attention to the brown-haired chick. On the way out, Percy bumped into Calypso.

"Leaving so soon?" Calypso asked, her eyes not meeting his.

"Yeah I really think I'm catching something, maybe the flu or a cold." Percy hesitated before continuing, "It was nice meeting you," before giving her a hug.

She immediately brightened up and returned the hug with enthusiasm, "You too." Great. Hopefully she didn't think he wanted to date her or anything. That would suck.

While leaving the club, Percy took one look around hoping to catch one last glimpse of Annabeth before leaving. But, he saw nothing so he promptly left. Walking home through the windy evening air, he thought about the evening. So Calypso was a cute girl, but she was just not the girl for him. Annabeth had looked really nice tonight, and that last remark - what was it with the jealous ex-girlfriend?

Oh. OH.

Had she been flirting? Percy cringed at how he hadn't thought of that earlier. It really could have been a move, right? Right? And he'd totally messed it up. Oh God. Now he really felt like going home and drawing the blankets over his head. What if Annabeth now thought that he wasn't interested? What if he would never try to flirt again? And what if he hadn't been flirting at all and Percy was just seeing things he wanted to see? Sighing, he sped up his steps to reach the apartment more quickly. There was no use in thinking that to death. He'd just wait and see. And he couldn't really date a customer anyway, that was weird.

 _But there isn't any rule saying you can't a small voice_ said in Percy's head. Percy shook his head to get rid of that thought once he had reached the door of his shared apartment. Maybe he should just go to sleep and think about it tomorrow. Damn, it wasn't even that late yet, just half and hour past 10. Percy immediately flopped onto his bed, shutting his eyes hoping for a dreamless sleep. A few minutes later, Percy had fallen fully asleep just as Jason unlocked the door.

Apparently, the fates were against Percy as he experience one of the most pleasurable and sexually frustrating dreams ever. Even though meeting two beautiful girls that night, there was no question which one was the star of the dream.

 **~Authors Note~**

 **Well that's another chapter. We start seeing attraction from both parties now. Things just started getting juicy. Btw, at the moment I'm currently traveling with the fam so probs no updates for the next few days. Sowy ;-; But...I promise a (hopefully) quality chapter after that. Well that's all for now. _Au revoir!_**


	4. Chapter 4

- **Annabeth** -

Annabeth woke up to her phone's alarm on a Sunday morning. She stretched her arms above her head, looking down to realize she was still dressed in her clothes from the night before.

The night before. Everything came crashing back; losing Piper, the encounter with Percy, finding Piper making out with a blond dude. As Annabeth reflected on the conversation with Percy in particular she started repeatedly hitting her head with a pillow. Did she really say she'll pretend to be a jealous ex-girlfriend? Why did that even come out? Was she coming on to hard? Not like she was attracted to him or anything, even if she thought his green eyes and tousled black hair were extremely attractive.

Annabeth shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts and decided to take a long hot shower. It was, after all a Sunday, meaning no classes and she could spend as long as she wanted curled up reading a good book, drawing or playing the guitar. She stared at the guitar she had owned since she was in freshman year of high school standing in the corner of her apartment collecting dust. She hadn't played in awhile due to the stress of college and extracurricular activities.

 _Maybe today is a great day to pick it up again_ she thought to herself as she turned on the knobs of the shower and stepped in. After a refreshing shower, Annabeth stepped out of the bathroom and dried her hair. She put on a pair of black see through leggings, a pair of jean shorts over it and an half tucked in an oversized white t-shirt to top it off. She put her hair in a messy bun and picked up one of her favorite dystopian novels from her desk and plopped on her bed and began reading. She felt like she had read the first page over and over again but couldn't comprehend what it said. Her mind was still focused on the conversation with Percy last night, what she had said, and the cute blush that had spread on his face after. Annabeth sighed to herself then immediately groaned.

 _She couldn't get close to anybody_ she scolded herself _not after what happened with Luke..._

Annabeth shook her head once again to rid herself of the thoughts and continued to read. After an hour or so of reading the same page over and over again, Annabeth finally got fed up and threw it against the wall. Deciding to go out for a breath of fresh air, she put on a black leather jacket, tucked her phone in one of her jacket pockets and her wallet and keys in the other pocket and walked out of the apartment, slamming the door shut in her wake. As she exited the building, the cold evening air hit her face. She breathed it in and started walking, meaning to walk around the block a couple times then come back. After a while, it started raining a bit, making Annabeth curse mentally, but she still decided to walk for a short while. As she was walking, letting her mind wander, she didn't know she had reached a destination until she felt her hand on a doorknob. She reoriented herself then realized where she was. She was in front of the coffee shop.

- **Percy** -

it was Percy's turn to close up the coffee shop at night. He liked those shifts in a weird way; sure, it was Sunday night, and it would have been cool to spend it at home with his friends, his Xbox, takeout or all three of the above. But since hardly anyone came in after five, and he had to close up the place at seven, he had the place almost to himself for two hours - he could play whichever music he wanted, even sing and dance along a bit if he felt like it, or basically do whatever. And later, when he would be home, Jason and him would have ordered pizza and they would watch a movie - their Sunday night tradition. So friends and takeout were on his schedule, anyway, in just an hour. Also, Sunday shifts were paid better, so why complain?

As Percy wiped the tables humming along to a Fall Out Boy song he looked out the window, watching the soft pitter-patter of rain against the window pane and the grey storm cloud above. Gray like her eyes he thought. Storm gray eyes complimented by her blonde hair. Grey eyes that were a bit intimidating but mostly attractive. Her eyes...

That had just entered the coffee shop along with the rest of her. Percy shook his head in case he was still daydreaming but nope. There she was, pink cheeked from the cold, stray pieces of wet blonde hair falling out of her bun and sticking to her face, her gray eyes scanning the shop behind her black rimmed glasses, but she looked as beautiful as ever-even more so if that was humanly possible. Her eyes continued to scan the place until she landed on him, tucked away in the corner cleaning a table. She broke in soft smile and exclaimed, "Percy!" Percy continued staring at her as she continued, "I see you're busy serving all your other customers but if you have time can you take my order?"

Percy immediately let go of the wash cloth and walked behind the counter. "Well what can I get you?" he said, flashing a smile. Woah there, where did that come from. Not a single stutter or voice crack. It's a miracle.

Annabeth smiled and said, "A large caramel latte please." Percy replied, "Coming right up," and proceeded to make her drink. "Here or to go?" Percy said from behind his shoulder.

"If you don't mind," Annabeth said, combing her hair back into in a bun, "I would rather drink in here." Percy almost dropped the cup he was holding. He turned to face her and he must have looked completely bewildered since she immediately said, "I mean if you don't want to I can get a to go. I know it would be harder since you have to wash the cup and everything as well as the table, but it's a lot cozier in here and it just started raining harder and-" Percy interrupted her before she could continue with saying, "No, I don't mind you staying."

As Percy busied preparing her latte all that was racing through his head was that he was going to be spending. An hour. Alone. With Annabeth. WHAT?

After a few minutes of silence, except the noise of the coffee machine and Percy's movements, Annabeth asked, "So are you a college student?"

He turned to look at her, leaning against the counter, her elbow propped and her chin resting on one hand. Something about that simple stance made Percy's heart beat faster and he felt a blush creeping up his neck. Stay cool, he told himself don't let this new found confidence go to waste.

"Yeah actually," he said nonchalantly, "I study marine biology. I took this job to help pay for college. It's my last year here." Yes. Success.

"Really?" She said, sounding impressed, "That's really cool!"

"And you?" Percy asked, pushing her caramel latte towards her. "And that would be $4.80." Annabeth rummaged through her purse, grabbing a couple of bucks and dropping a few coins in the tip jar, then said, "Yeah. It's my last year as well. I'm majoring in architecture."

"Architecture?" Percy asked, eyebrows scrunched, "Is that the one with the building of stuff?"

Annabeth arched and eyebrow while sipping her latte. She put it down and said, "Yeah it focuses on the process of the actual construction, as well as the planning and designing of a structure as well. It's actually considered an art form to some. It also has a lot of elements of mathematics like trigonometry and geometry and well as art, like sketching and designing." Annabeth's eyes grew wistful and she said, "One day I hope to design a structure that'll last. Eventually, people would look at it and say, "Yeah, Annabeth Chase built that."

"That's a great dream to have," Percy said honestly, "I just enjoy water and it's wildlife. I used to spend a lot of time with my mom when I was younger at this beach called Montauk. I would spend my days watching the crabs move across the sand, or the fishes swimming in the water. Growing up I knew I wanted to work with them eventually. So, when it came to choosing a major it was pretty much a no brainer."

Annabeth chuckled before saying, "Maybe that's why you're such a seaweed brain, spending all that time at a beach."

"Seaweed Brain?" he asked, confused.

"You know." She took a sip of her latte. "You enjoy the water hence "seaweed" and you're not exactly the brightest hence "brain". Therefore, it's implying that your brain is full of seaweed," she said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, so we're doing nicknames now," he said, smirking, "Well in that case I'll call you." He thought about it for a while before exclaiming triumphantly, "Wise Girl! Since you must be smart doing all that trigonometry nonsense." Annabeth burst out in laughter.

"What's so funny?" Percy asked, offended.

Annabeth had calmed down slightly, hiccuping every now and then. Percy thought she now possessed sort of a childlike cuteness.

"Well, Wise Girl is more of a compliment then anything," she said smiling, "But, I'll take it."

"Well, what did you expect from a Seaweed Brain like me?" Percy teased.

Annabeth sat her coffee down on the table. Percy, not wanting the conversation to end, asked, "So do you have any hobbies?"

Annabeth simply replied, "Yeah, I used to play guitar and I enjoy reading." She said it calmly enough, but the love shining in her eyes betrayed the nonchalance in her tone.

Percy cocked his head to the side and asked, "Used to?"

Annabeth replied, sighing, "Yeah, I haven't played in a while, with college and all."

"Well I would like to see you play some time," Percy said smiling. "Do you write your own songs?"

"Sometimes, but I enjoy doing covers." Annabeth packed her things and stood up. "I had a great time tonight Perce, maybe I'll see you again."

"Well my shifts are from 8-10 on a weekdays if you need me," he said, winking at her.

Annabeth laughed that angelic laugh and said, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind." As she made her way towards the door, she looked back and said, "See ya later Seaweed Brain." And before he replied, she slipped outside.

And later, hours after the shop had closed and Percy had returned back to the apartment, Jason ,for the life of him, couldn't understand why Percy hasn't wiped that goofy grin of his face.

 **~Authors Note~**

 **Well here you a-go! A brand new semi-good quality chapter! We start to see a bit of interaction between these two. It gets a bit spicier in a few chapters so stay tuned. Peace out!**


	5. Chapter 5

- **Percy** -

Annabeth kept true to her word and visited Percy at each of his shifts over the course of the next two weeks. Those visits were definitely what Percy would consider to be the highlight of that day, whether it be in the morning for a quick cup and a small smile or in the afternoon where she would sit on one of the bar stools lining the counter, enjoying a warm drink and a little snack. Sometimes during those afternoons, she would sit there studying, thinking out loud now and then, Percy inserting his opinion when he thought it was needed while other times they would exchange little stories about their day, anything happening in their lives or just random topics and questions.

On a surprisingly slow afternoon, Percy reminisced on a conversation he had with Jason earlier on why he had to take a sick day.

"Percy just hear me out-"

"No Grace, you're not leaving me to work by myself just so you can get ready for a date which may I remind you is long after our shifts are done-"

"But it's not just a date, she's different..I need to get flowers and chocolates and"

"You're not convincing me Grace"

"I'll give you half my pay?"

"Deal."

Percy shook his head at that memory, but he didn't mind working alone that day, barely anyone had came by and when Annabeth came along it would be just him and her. Alone.

The small bell over the door rung, bringing Percy out of his thoughts. Expecting Annabeth, he quickly turned around, smile on his face. He deflated noticing it wasn't Annabeth, but a blond boy with his arm around a red-haired girl.

Wait. Percy took a closer look at the girl and took a step back, realizing who it was.

Rachel. Elizabeth. _Fucking_ Dare. Percy's high-school sweetheart. They had been together for around six years, up until the previous December when he found her bent over a desk in the campus library, getting fucked by the boy who currently had an arm around her. Percy growled at the memory but nonetheless plastered on a fake smile and walked to the counter.

Rachel smiled at Percy and exclaimed, "Percy! Long time no see! How have you been?"

Percy's mind filled with a number of sarcastic replies including;

"Better since last December when you broke my heart"

"Good, and you? Fucked anyone else behind this sorry guy's back?"

"I'm doing great, considering I can now go to the library without seeing my girlfriend getting it on on top of a desk with another guy"

But Percy thought those comments wouldn't convey the whole got-over-you message. So he settled for a simple, "I'm doing fine. And can I take your order?"

Rachel, not sensing Percy's obvious discomfort, gave Percy's hand a quick squeeze and said, "That's great to hear! And I'll think I'll have a mocha frappe, extra whipped cream," then she paused and looked up at the blond boy, "And what about you, babe?"

Percy cringed at the use of the pet name, but saw as the boy narrowed his eyes at him, and grunted, "Black coffee. And no sugar, no cream, no nothing, got that?" The boy tightened his grip around Rachel's shoulders; getting a nasally laugh out of her.

"Don't mind Octavian, he gets a bit possessive and when he's like that he's kinda grouchy," Rachel explained, then addressing Octavian, "But he also knows he doesn't need to worry about that. I'm his and he knows that." She topped it off by giving him a slobbery peck on the cheek. Octavian turned his head to face her and they started making out, tongue and all. Percy cringed for the second time at the obvious display of affection in front of him. He decided to stop it before they start banging on the freshly cleaned counters.

"Um guys," he said loudly, snapping his fingers for emphasis. Octavian stopped and looked up annoyed, "Yes?"

"Uh, the cafe has a no excessive PDA policy as well as that would be $9.45," Percy said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

Rachel straightened her clothes and said, "Of course." Nudging Octavian, he took his wallet out and plunked a few dollars on the table. Percy counted the bills, gave back the change, and said with the trademark fake cheery voice, "Your drinks will be ready shortly. Please take a sit in the mean time. Will it be to go or stay in?"

Rachel answered before Octavian could react, "We'll drink it here. Might as well go find a table. Thanks Perce!" Gripping Octavian's arm, she led him to a table in front of a window and sat down. Percy huffed and proceeded to make their drinks, reluctantly. As he moved towards the coffee machine, cup in hand, he heard the bell softly clink again. Groaning, he turned around only to see the beautiful blonde he had been looking forward to meeting. She walked in, hand draped dramatically over her eyes, exclaiming, "Perce, I have had a positively awful day and one of your caramel lattes would make it up tremendously." She finished her statement by plopping herself on the barstool.

Percy asked, "What happened?"

Annabeth sighed and said, "The deadline for my design model had been moved up to this Thursday and I still haven't fixed the tweaks at the same time I haven't finish the work for my algebra class which is due that day as well Piper is still trying to get me to go out again and.." Noticing Percy wasn't fully paying attention, Annabeth stopped and waved a hand in front of his face. "Hello?", she called, "Anyone there?"

Percy shook his head, apologized and murmured, "My ex-girlfriend is here with the guy she cheated on me with."

Annabeth quirked her head, then folded a napkin and moved towards the trash can near where Octavian and Rachel were sitting. Percy, though it took a few seconds, realized she was trying to get a good look at them discreetly.

"Smart, Wise Girl," he said as she sat back down on the barstool.

Annabeth didn't comment on the statement, as she said bewildered, "She left you for that?" That comment made Percy blush slightly and his heart beat picked up. Before he had time to react, Annabeth quickly said, "Look discreetly. Is she looking?"

Percy raised his gaze up slightly and saw Rachel looking up at them. He returned his gaze to Annabeth and whispered, "Yeah. What now?"

Annabeth didn't reply, but put a hand on Percy's upper arm and giggled softly. Percy looked back, perplexed. In the few weeks he had known Annabeth, she had never made any outright flirtatious physical contact. And she had never giggled. Laughed yes. But giggle? No.

Annabeth narrowed her eyes at him and hissed, "C'mon, give me something to work with here." A light lit up in Percy's brain, albeit a little late. Annabeth was trying to make Rachel jealous! Percy, deciding to play along, tucked a stray blond curl behind her ear and winked at her.

Wait a minute. Was Annabeth blushing? No, he must have imagined it. Just seeing what he wanted to see.

"I have to start making the drinks now," he said, as she retracted her hand from his, "But I'll make yours first."

"That's my Seaweed Brain," she said smiling. Percy beamed. It felt good being called her anything. He hurried around, a flurry of cups, ingredients, and movements. After a few minutes, he placed a caramel latte in front of Annabeth as well as a small scone. Then he loaded a tray with a mocha frappe and the coffee, took a breath and made his way towards the table where Rachel and Octavian were sitting.

Rachel smiled at Percy, although it looked a bit forced, and said, "Thanks Perce, how but sometime we meet up again? Just like old times?"

Before he could reply, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Annabeth stood there, her hands behind her back. "Uh Percy," she said, "I'm going to leave now."

"Oh," he said sadly, "So soon?"

"Yeah," she said, "I have a million things due I have to get started on." She hesitated then thrusted a paper napkin at Percy. He took it and looked at it. Written hastily was a phone number.

"Call me sometime," she said, blushing. Wait, blushing? Okay, he was definitely seeing things now. Before he could get a good look, she walked out of the store leaving Percy bewildered. He moved towards the counter and took in what just happened. Rachel had seen a hot girl give him her number. The hot girl in question was Annabeth, the girl who had never left his mind since meeting her. Percy worked the rest of the shift in a daze, and after work, rushed towards his shared apartment. Noticing Jason's absence, Percy flopped on his bed and stared at the napkin. Taking out his phone, he proceeded to dial the number, but right before hitting "call" he paused.

What if it was fake? What if she was just doing it for show in front of Rachel? If she was really interested she would have given it earlier. Percy sighed, the evidence stacking against itself. With a heavy heart, he deleted the number and stuck the napkin in his dresser. Why, he didn't know. Maybe for sentimental purposes or just in case anything happens. He stood up and fired up the Xbox, waiting for Jason to get home. Maybe a night in with his best buddy would be just what he needed.

 **~Authors Note~**

 **Sooo...I'm back from me holidays with another chapter! Hopefully it lives up to you guy's standards. Next chapter is when the T rating really comes into play. So until next time, farewell!**


	6. AN

**~~~Author's Note~~~**

Hey guys! First of all, thank you so much for all the support. I never expected this story to get as many people following and favoriting it. Second, sorry for not updating recently. My school had started again and now I'm being piled up with homework, and essays, and all that other school shiz. So it's a little difficult to write a lot now. But, I promise I'll have a chapter up during the weekend. Thank you guys so much!


	7. Chapter 6

**-Percy-**

"Seriously Jason, for the last time, no I'm not third-wheeling you and Piper," Percy said exasperatedly, running his hand through his messy hair. He and Jason have been having this back and forth argument for the past thirty minutes, and it was seriously starting to piss him off.

"You aren't going to be third-wheeling," Jason scoffed, "And c'mon, who in their right mind would skip the biggest party of the year?" It was a tradition on campus that the biggest fraternity, Sigma Chi, would throw a party to celebrate the end of the first semester. It usually included lots of people, lots of music, lots of dancing and lots of alcohol. It would only be trumped by the end of the year party also thrown by Sigma. Percy rolled his eyes, remembering when he had been an ignorant freshman and went to that party, only to spend the next day curled up on the bathroom floor, hurling, with a bottle of water and aspirin beside him.

"Only people who don't want to feel like a slug the day after," Percy said. "And for the last and final time, no I'm not going." Percy honestly wouldn't mind going, he could just sit in a corner, have one or two beers, then go home. And he wouldn't have Jason on his ass for the rest of the day. But, he didn't want to go for two other reasons; the fact that Jason had invited Calypso as well as the possibility of seeing Rachel again. Well, maybe three if you were to count Annabeth. Ever since the Napkin-Number Incident, he wasn't in any rush to see Annabeth again. It helped that she hadn't come to any of his shifts for the past week, but even that was bittersweet. He missed the sound of her laugh and her piercing gray eyes. But, he couldn't cope to see her with her curious smile, asking whether the fake number had Rachel fooled. He knew she was trying to help, but it still hurt all the same.

"Jackson, you are going," Jason said with finality in his voice, "If you want to avoid Rachel tough luck my friend but you have to move to another state for that to happen. And I'm not, I repeat NOT, having my best bud mope around at home on the last end-of-semester party we'll ever go to, all because of a girl who cheated on you a year ago."

Percy sighed, knowing Jason wasn't going to let this go anytime soon, and resigned with a, "Fine."

Jason took a step back, and said bewildered, "Really?"

"You obviously aren't going to let this go," Percy sighed, "So I'll go. But, I'll only have one beer and will sit in the corner, moping."

"Works for me!" Jason said, leaving for the bathroom.

Percy slumped on his bed, recollecting what just happened and what Jason had said. It was true, he couldn't avoid Rachel forever. And maybe he'll give Calypso another chance, see what happens. And Annabeth...well he knew she was strictly party-free so at least he didn't have to worry about that. Or so he hoped.

 **-Annabeth-**

"Jeez McLean, you said last time was the last time," Annabeth whined, "You promised."

"Well I lied," Piper said smiling as she rifled through Annabeth's fridge, "C'mon Annabeth it's your last chance to go to the Sigma Chi party. Aren't you just a little bit curious to know what all the hype's about?"

"No I'm not actually," Annabeth said, scowling. "I would rather stay at home, in my bed, reading a book. Not getting high and drunk and waking up the next morning feeling like I just crawled up from hell."

"Oh, now you're just exaggerating," Piper said shrugging it off, "You don't need to get drunk or high. It's just offered you don't need to accept. And I need someone to be there to back me up."

Annabeth pinched the bridge of her nose, frustrated. "Why Piper, isn't this like your 10th date with Jason?" For the last few days, she had been listening to Piper ranting on and on about Jason. Jason this, Jason that, and to be frank, she was getting quite sick of it.

"Well yeah, but you have never met him," Piper said, pleadingly, "You have the best judgement out of anyone I've ever known. If you approve of him, then I know for sure he is a great guy. I need an outside, unbiased opinion."

Annabeth frowned. She really was curious to see if this Jason-guy was as impressive as Piper made him out to be. And, when Piper wanted something from anyone, she had a gift for persuading them to do it. But, at the same time, there might be a possibility that Percy would show. After giving him her number, he hadn't called or texted. Not once. Annabeth had banged her head against her pillow multiple times for that decision. Of course, she shouldn't have just assumed he would be interested. For the past week, Annabeth avoided entering or even walking past the coffee shop, in case he spotted her. Yeah it might have been a little cowardly of her, but she needed to preserve some of her pride and dignity. But, she also knew he hadn't bothered going to the party for the past few years. Who says this year is any different?

Annabeth ran a hand through her messy curls and said, "Okay. I'll go. But you have to swear this is the last time, Piper McLean."

"Seriously?" Piper said, "Thanks a bunch Annabeth. And I promise this time, I won't bother you anymore when it comes to parties. Promise."

Piper smiled, and walked towards the door. Before closing the door she said behind her, "Oh, meet me at my apartment by 8." With the final statement, she left, shutting the door behind her. Annabeth shook her head at the best friend's antics and looked at the clock by her bed.

6:34 PM.

Okay one and a half hours left. Usually, Annabeth wouldn't bother coming dressed up to anything, but she also knew Piper would skin her alive if she showed up wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Standing up and walking towards her closet, she rifled for something decent-ish. She decided on a white college t-shirt half tucked in a black high-waisted denim skirt with black leggings. She brushed her hair out and reached out for her beanie. At the last second, she decided against it, in fear of it being knocked off her head. She put her wallet and her phone in a black purse and slung it over her shoulder. Lacing up her combat boots, she took one last look at the clock.

7:29 PM.

Since it took around 15 minutes to get to Piper's place, Annabeth decided to wait a bit, so she didn't come to early. Checking to make sure she had everything she need, she tapped her foot watching the clock softly tick. Once it reached 7:45 she stood up, and made her way to Piper's place.

Once she reached Piper's place she rung the doorbell. Piper opened the door and smiled.

"You're here," she exclaimed, "And you look awesome. C'mon, let's go."

Piper stepped out and shut the door behind her. Annabeth got a look at what she was wearing. High waisted shorts and an off-shoulder top. Simple, but Piper made it look like a million bucks. They walked towards the frat house, talking about what was going on at school, how things were, yada yada yada. After a few minutes, they reached the frat house. Annabeth could hear the pulsing music from outside and watched the multi colored lights flash out of the windows. Annabeth turned to Piper and asked, "Where's Jason?"

"Inside," she replied, and Annabeth steadied herself to enter the frat house. Inside, people were dancing to the loud music, taking shots in a corner, and couples were making out all over the place. Annabeth recoiled, wishing she had just stayed at home. Piper gripped her hand, and led her through the see of people. They reeked of sweat and alcohol, a combination that made Annabeth feel nauseous. Piper eventually stopped and exclaimed, "Jason!" She wrapped her arms around the boy standing in front of her, who returned the embrace. After Piper ended the embrace, she said, "Annabeth this is Jason. Jason this is Annabeth, my best friend since high school." Annabeth got a good look at Jason. He was tall, maybe 6'0", blond and had a scar just above his lip. After Piper left to get them drinks, she had a simple conversation with him, where she deducted that he was a nice boy, a great conversationalist and was pretty funny. Smiling, she thought he was perfect for Piper. After finishing her drink she brought Piper to the side, and told her so. Piper beamed then said, "If you excuse me Annabeth, me and Jason are going to go dance. Why not you mingle a bit?" Without giving Annabeth time to respond, she whisked Jason away into the sea of people.

Annabeth sighed. She should have realized this was going to happen. Not really interested in "mingling" as Piper put it, she decided to find an empty corner where she could wait this night out. Slightly tipsy from the drink, she plunged into the throng of drunk college students, trying to find an empty spot. Eventually, she stumbled her way out in an empty clearing. Scanning around, she looked for an empty corner, coming up empty-handed. She instead found a sight that made her want to go back home more than ever.

Percy. Freaking. Jackson. In the flesh. Standing of to the side. Looking _hot as hell_. His dark hair tousled messily and his sea-green eyes looked incredibly bored. He wore a green button down opened to show a white t-shirt underneath. Paired with black jeans and converse, leaning against the wall, Annabeth had to shake her head a couple times to get the crazed wolf look out of her eyes. Annabeth, trying to clear her thoughts, poured herself another cup of booze at a nearby table and downed it. Looking back to where Percy was standing, she saw now he wasn't alone. Now, standing in-front of him was Rachel.

Jealousy flared in Annabeth. How dare she come close to him? Curious to what they were talking about, she moved closer towards them. She heard them arguing, but couldn't make out what about. Well, until Percy shouted, "YOU FUCKED ANOTHER GUY." People around in the vicinity glanced at them. Annabeth, not caring, continued watching. She saw Rachel put her hands on her hips, about to retort, when Percy held up his hand. Not knowing what she was doing, she slowly made her way towards them. She didn't know why, maybe it was the alcohol in control. But, as she got closer, she slipped her hands around Percy's waist and looked of the side at Rachel.

Then, as if someone else was controlling her, she heard herself say, "I'll appreciate it if you left my Percy alone." As Percy was turning around, she pulled him down by the collar and crashed her lips against his, catching both of them at surprise. She faintly heard Rachel huffing and walking away but she couldn't pay any attention to anything but Percy. After a moment of surprise, he returned the kiss with equal fervor. She bit softly at his lip, causing him to release a soft groan. He suddenly pulled her legs around his waist and pushed her against a wall. In surprise she opened her mouth, and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue inside. Their tongues clashed, and eventually she let him take over.

He tasted slightly of alcohol and something else. Something she couldn't place. Her hands made their way to his hair, tugging at it gently, causing him to groan again. Eventually, he drew back, causing her to whine softly, only to start kissing along her jaw and down her neck. He nibbled and sucked along her neck, causing her to moan loudly. She felt him growing hard under her. Recollecting her thoughts, she asked him, panting, "Why didn't you ever call?"

He stopped kissing her neck and looked at her. "Hm? Oh I thought the number was fake."

"Why would you think-" Annabeth realized something and said, "Did you really fucking think I wasn't interested?"

Percy grinned sheepishly at her. Annabeth rolled her eyes, then letting her lust take over she pulled at his collar and whispered in his ear, "You're calling a cab. Right now."

"Why?" Percy asked, scrunching his eyebrows.

"Because," she purred, "I'm taking you to my apartment and fucking you senseless."

Dumbfounded, Percy stood shocked. Then slowly, he nodded and took his phone out, leading her to the exit as quick as he could. This was going to be a long night.

 **~~~Author's Note~~~**

 **Wooh, this is by far the spiciest thing I've ever written. But, don't worry, it won't get any spicier than this I promise. I'm not that kinda gal. But, if you want me to change the rating just put a review. I know I said this was coming up on the weekend but I had some free time today and wrote it and couldn't wait to post it. Well, peace out guys!**


	8. Chapter 7

- **Percy** -

Percy woke up to someone shifting in the sheets. He found that weird since he always slept alone; well he hasn't slept with anybody since Rachel...

Wait.

Percy moved his head to the side, wincing as he felt the start of a killer headache. Well, at least he knew he had been drinking last night. He shifted his body only to realize two things;

1) The bed was covered in satin sheets. He didn't have any sheets other than the ones he ordered online from Ikea.

2) He was naked as the day he was born.

 _Fuck_.

He sat up, a bit too quickly, and immediately groaned, half from the pulsing pain in his head, and half from making a stupid mistake and sleeping with probably one of those stupid sorority girls from the party. Percy cradled his head in his hands, trying to reorient himself from that quick shift. Once he felt his vision clear a bit and the headache lessen slightly, he took in his surroundings. Bright light flooded into the room as he took in the grey floral pattern satin sheets and dresser next to him which held a grey lampshade. And on the other side, letting out a sigh of relief, was Annabeth, her head propped up by her arm, smirking up at him.

Percy couldn't help but stare — even with her hair tossed up in a messy ponytail and shadows under her eyes, Annabeth still looked like a goddess. The blonde, unlike him, was dressed in a sea green long sleeved shirt. It looked a few sizes too big for her, and on closer examination, he did a double-take realizing it was his shirt from last night. The way she smirked at him, quirking an eyebrow as she saw him looking her up and down made Percy blush a bit. Soon after, flashes of last night's activities went through his head, making him blush even harder. Last night was, to put it simply, amazing.

"Good morning," Percy said sheepishly.

Instead of replying likewise, Annabeth said matter-of-factly, "You drool in your sleep."

Percy realized the small puddle of drool he left on her pillowcase and used the back of his hand to wipe at his mouth. "Yeah, sorry about that," he said, gesturing to the small patch on the pillow.

Annabeth waved him off and said, "Don't worry. How is your head?"

As if the question reminded him of his headache, it came back in full force causing Percy to groan again. "Honestly, I feel like shit," he gritted through the pain.

Annabeth smirked and replied, "And I was thinking I was the only one that can make you moan like that."

"If she keeps it up, you'll be redder than a tomato before ten," he thought to himself.

"Seaweed Brain?"

Percy snapped out of it and mumbled, "Hm?"

"Are you sure you're alright?" She asked, eyebrows scrunched.

"Yeah, yeah," Percy said, "Just the hangover."

"Well there's aspirin and a glass of water on the kitchen counter," Annabeth said, swinging her legs of the bed. She made her way over to her dresser in the corner and Percy, unabashedly, watched her swaying hips. She pulled on some leggings and retied her messy ponytail. "I need to be somewhere in hour. I'm an intern at a big architecture company."

"Ok Wise Girl," he said, trying to hide his disappointment. But, apparently not as well as he thought, since she turned around and said with a smile, "But you looked so cute sleeping, I couldn't help but come back in."

Percy felt the fifth (or was it the sixth?) blush creeping up his neck, and fought to keep it down. No one has ever said he looked cute sleeping and he didn't know whether to be touched or creeped out. He decided to go for touched.

Annabeth laced up a pair of grey sneakers and pushed her glasses higher up her nose. She placed things in her satchel and wore it crossed over her body. Hesitating, she walked over to Percy and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. Even though it was short, Percy still felt tingles going down to his toes.

"Do you still have the number I gave you?" She asked, nibbling on her bottom lip.

Percy nodded.

"Okay, do remember to call me this time. I would very much like a repeat in the near future." And with that, she turned on her heel and closed the door behind her.

Percy sat dumbfounded, then smiled softly. As he searched around for his clothes, he pulled on his white t-shirt then realized something that made him smirk. Annabeth had left wearing his shirt.

- **Annabeth** -

Annabeth smiled to herself, as she left the office building, on her way to the diner where she was meeting Piper for lunch. The entire day, she had just been reminiscing on her time with Percy the day before, and the fact she was still wearing his shirt didn't help. Arriving at the diner, Annabeth scanned the room, her eyes finally landing on the brown-haired Cherokee, absent-mindedly twirling a feather in her hair.

Annabeth slid into the booth, and took a seat opposite Piper. Piper looked up and exclaimed, "Chase! And I thought you were going to bail on me."

"Not a chance, McLean," Annabeth said, smiling.

"Good, because I already ordered your burger," Piper scrunched her nose in disgust as she said that. Annabeth laughed at the reaction of her strictly-vegetarian (A/N I forgot if Piper was vegetarian or vegan) friend. They started talking and laughing about any joke the other made. Soon enough, the food came.

"So, what happened with Jason?," Annabeth asked, eating a fry.

"What about?," Piper asked through a mouthful of mac' n' cheese.

"Y'know," Annabeth said, "Did you do the deed."

"No," Piper said, horrified, "Jason is a perfect gentleman. He drove me home and gave me a kiss goodnight and went." Piper then smirked and leaned in, "And what about you Miss Chase?"

"What about?," Annabeth asked, suddenly extremely interested in her cheeseburger.

"Well I'm pretty certain that's not your shirt, and I might have seen you leave the party with a certain black haired green-eyed fellow," Piper said, coyly, "So, spill."

Annabeth blushed and mumbled, "Well he might have gone home with me."

"And?" Piper asked, her grin becoming bigger by the minute.

"You can connect the dots by yourself Pipes," Annabeth said indignantly.

"Hah! So you did do it," Piper said, triumphantly. "So who was the lucky guy?"

Annabeth fiddled with her hands and said, "Well, remember that barista I told you about?"

"You mean the shy one from that cafe near your house?" A light went on in Piper's head, "You mean he...? And you...?" Piper squealed, then immediately killed it by coughing. "Sorry, I think my mom and sisters are getting to me. But, I'm so happy for you."

"Wait, hold up. That was a one time thing." Annabeth protested.

"Mhm," Piper said unconvinced.

"Well maybe we might meet up again, but it's purely that. Simply an outlet. I'm not ready for a relationship right now."

For a moment, everything was quiet except the munching of food as they both continued eating. Then, Piper said seriously, "Then when are you ready? Annabeth, as your best friend I support you in anything you do, but I also want you to be happy."

"But I am happy," Annabeth insisted.

"These past few weeks since you met Percy, I noticed you were the happiest you've ever been in my entire time of knowing you," Piper said.

"I just don't want a relationship right now."

"I understand," Piper said, "Just think about it."

Annabeth sighed. "Okay," she said lying.

"Now," Piper said standing up, "How about we go shopping to get our minds of things."

Annabeth huffed then said, "Fine."

Piper pulled her up and made their way to the counter. "By the way, you're paying," she said over her shoulder.

"McLean!"

Annabeth walked into her apartment, kicking the door closed behind her. She set down her minimal amount of shopping bags on the floor and noticed Percy had tidied up her bed and the kitchen before leaving. She slipped of her shoes, and flopped on her bed, rubbing her face in the sheets. She felt her phone buzz under her and picked it up.

It was a text from an unknown number. Curious, she unlocked her phone and saw what it said.

 _It seems to me that I might have missed my shirt. When do you think I can get it back? -Percy._

Annabeth smiled at the text, then thought of a witty reply to that.

 _I'm free tmrw night. See you then ;)._

Annabeth, satisfied with the answer, lied down on her bed and closed her eyes. She fell asleep, anxious for the next night to come.

 **~Authors Note~**

 **I've come back from the dead! Sorry for the late update, I'm not gonna give you any crap like "oh I was busy again." My school life has settled down and my life in general is less hectic so the simple reason for not posting was; I just didn't feel up to writing. Sometimes it happens. But..I'm here again so that's what matters! I'm not giving up on this story I promise. I already thought about how it'll go from here, and I'm really excited for that. And also, to answer some questions from the reviews, Percy and Annabeth may seem a little unlike their usual personalities but this is an AU. I'm trying to keep some of their personality traits the same, but I also wanted to play around with changing it up a bit. So, hope that answers some questions. Well, until next time then. Peace out!**


	9. Chapter 8

- **Percy** -

"That was fucking fantastic," Percy sighed, rolling of Annabeth and onto his back. Annabeth rolled her eyes and bent down off the side of the bed to pick up the sweatshirt he had thrown on the floor earlier and tugged it on. She then proceeded to smooth her rat nest hair back into a pony tail.

"Yeah, that's what you've been saying every time for the past few weeks since we have been doing this, Seaweed Brain" she said, in that slight exasperated tone which Percy had grown to find endearing. Percy turned his head to study the blonde. She was sitting cross-legged now, the neck of his sweatshirt falling of one shoulder. Her hair, though slightly calmer from the aforementioned rats-nest, still stuck out at bits through her ponytail. His right hand itched to push a rogue curl out of her eyes, but Annabeth wasn't one for little affectionate actions, and probably wouldn't appreciate the gesture.

There weren't a lot of things Percy knew about Annabeth— most like her stiffness towards affectionate gestures, the fact that she drinks her coffee with three sugars and dash of milk he picked up by just watching her. The blonde wasn't open about herself, a shame really since Percy would want to know more about his..friend with benefits? Fuck buddy? No matter what the label was, Percy just wanted to know more about her. But, he had to tread lightly since the blonde didn't like to be questioned. Taking a deep breath, he decided to try once again to delve into the mind of one Annabeth Chase.

"Wise Girl?" he asked tentatively, pushing him up into a sitting position.

"Mhm?" She said nonchalantly, picking lint off his sweatshirt.

"Are you from New York or..?"

"Actually, I came from San Fran," she said in a neutral tone, her eyes betraying how she really felt..

Well she wasn't upset was she? Taking her tone as a good sign he decided to try for one more.

"I've always wanted to visit California."

"You should," she exclaimed, this time her tone showing exactly how she felt, "The people there are amazing, and there's so many things to do you really can"t ever be bored. I remember my dad bringing me up to Angel Island every weekend to Camp when I was a kid." Her eyes brightened at the memories of her old home, but it didn't clarify why she left. Totally next question material, right?

"So, why didn't you study there?"

Annabeth faltered a bit, and Percy worried he said the wrong thing and was about to apologize before she continued, "Well, you know," she said, "Change is a good thing. I wanted to experience something else."

"So you came to New York?" He said in mock-astonishment, hoping to lighten the mood, "Bad choice. We're the exact same except without beautiful beaches and more freeze-your socks off temperatures."

It worked.

Annabeth chuckled, "Well in my defense, I do know how to choose my fuckbuddies." She pulled Percy in for a searing kiss which left tingles down his body.

"Is that what I am, hm?" He asked amused, playfully nipping at her earlobe, "Your fuck buddy." Annabeth giggled, encouraging Percy to continue. "I think we've known each other long enough to be more than buddies?"

Annabeth stopped suddenly leaning back, staring at Percy, bewilderment gracing her beautiful features. "What do you mean?" Percy would have laughed, if it didn't feel like there was a full on marching band in his chest.

"Well," he gulped, trying to manage a casual tone but probably failing horribly, "We could go out for dinner some time or -"

"Wait, hold up," Annabeth said, putting up one hand to silence him. "You mean like a—date?

Percy felt almost hopeful at the utterance of the word "date". He smiled half a smile. "Kinda, yeah."

"I don't do dates." All Percy's hopes came crashing down at Annabeth's answer and her "and don't try an argue with me" tone. "And if that's what you're hoping for, sorry Kelp Head but I'm the wrong girl for you."

Percy tried to not show how much those words hurt him.

 _No_ , Percy wanted to say, _You only think you don't like dates. You just haven't dated me yet. I can make a mean American breakfast, would listen to you go on about the latest book you're reading, and bring you on dates to see all the amazing architecture in New York just to see you smile. I will hug you on bad days and good days alike. Just give me a chance. Please._

But, in the end he didn't really say all that. He simply said, "It's okay Wise Girl. Glad we clarified that."

Before he could mourn longer, she straddled his waist and toyed with a single strand of hair at the back of his neck. His hands immediately went to grip her waist.

"How long before you need to be back," she whispered into his ear, nipping at the earlobe.

"I texted Jason I'll be spending the night here," he murmured, pressing his lips to her collarbone.

"Good," She said, placing a hand on his chest and pushing him down on the bed, "Because we're going to be at this for a long time."

 **~Author's Note~**

 **I'M NOT GIVING UP ON THIS STORY! Just in case ya'll were wondering. I've not been updating a lot since most of the time I have been spending on getting ready for finals, and other times I was just not up to writing. But...I'm still seeing this story to the end. So, with that bit clarified, until next time my loyal readers! (P.s sorry this is only in Percy's point of view, I'll do the next chappie in Annabeth's). (P.s.s Sorry this was a short one, I just didn't have much inspo)**


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